Hutchinson seeks $7.4 million to open 200 new prison bedsAssociated Press HOT SPRINGS — Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Monday said he wants to tap an additional $7.4 million from Arkansas reserve funds to open 200 more prison beds to help ease the backlog of state inmates housed at local jails. The Republican governor told the Arkansas Sheriffs Association at the group’s summer meeting that he will ask lawmakers to approve the funding to open the beds in about 18 months at a Pine Bluff prison facility. “I’m...

Attorney general’s office rejects 5 pot proposalsAssociated Press CONWAY — The Arkansas attorney general’s office has rejected five proposed ballot titles that would have asked voters to legalize marijuana for various purposes. But Robert Reed of Dennard said he isn’t giving up and is planning to appeal the most recent denials, on July 20, by Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, who cited ambiguities in two of the proposals Reed submitted. Reed told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that he suffers...

ASCP announces state Capitol will close on weekendsFOR THE COURIER LITTLE ROCK — Due to ongoing construction and concern for the safety of visitors, the Arkansas State Capitol Police are advising the public that the Capitol building will be closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays beginning this Saturday, July 25. The closure will remain in effect through the fall as construction work is completed. The Capitol is currently undergoing renovations, including on the north end of the building in...

Alcohol sales a potential new revenue streamBudgets are tight in Russellville and Pope County as city and county leaders struggle to balance expenses with income, leaving some to speculate how to broaden revenue streams. In 2013, Pope County justices of the peace discussed a millage increase to boost the county's budget, though an effort to pass an increase failed. Now, Russellville city officials plan to ask voters to approve a quarter-cent sales tax increase to boost city coffers by a...

Retail Coach to come to townBY SEAN INGRAM sean@couriernews.com The Russellville City Council’s Finance Committee called a special meeting Wednesday and voted to invite a retail research company to give a presentation to the full council. Mayor Randy Horton said The Retail Coach is designed to bring retail businesses and customers to your town. “They tell you how to get the retail that fits you,” he said. The company conducts research and interviews over the course of a ...

Marriage ruling opens fight within state GOPLITTLE ROCK — A social conservative who once called for banning gay couples from becoming foster parents, Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson was an unlikely foil for members of his own party outraged at the U.S. Supreme Court decision to strike down same-sex marriage bans nationwide. But the pushback Hutchinson is facing from some conservatives who think the state needs to protect county clerks who don’t want to issue marriage licenses to gay coup...

Obama urges greater care for aging AmericansAssociated Press WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama warned Monday of an increasing urgency for the U.S. to care for older Americans as millions of baby boomers head into their golden years. At a White House conference on aging, Obama called on the nation to take proactive steps to address rising costs, protect Social Security, train more home health care workers and help seniors remain active contributors to their communities. He said every d...

Finance Committee tables itemsBY SEAN INGRAM sean@couriernews.com The Russellville City Council’s Finance Committee tabled a few items from a long agenda during its regular meeting Tuesday because there are concerns about money in the General Fund. Committee members Mark Tripp (chairman), Spence Roberts, Bill Eaton and Freddie Harris did recommend to pay an $800 air conditioning bill inside a Municipal Airport building for Lake Dardanelle Emergency Services. The committee ...

S. Carolina Senate OKs rebel flag removalAssociated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Senate gave its final approval Tuesday to removing the Confederate flag from the Capitol grounds, but across the hall in the House, Republicans quietly sought a way to make a last stand to preserve some kind of symbol honoring their Southern ancestors at the Statehouse. The House was scheduled to begin debate Wednesday on the bill to take down the flag and its pole and send the banner to the...

AG: State authority for data breach, security lawsLITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge Tuesday co-sponsored a bipartisan, multistate letter to the U.S. Congress in an effort to ensure that any future federal data breach notification or data security law provides consumers with the best protection. The letter, signed by 47 attorneys general, emphasizes the importance of maintaining States’ authority to enforce data breach and data security laws, as well as their ability to e...

In Supreme Court loss, death penalty foes see an openingAssociated Press ATLANTA — A strongly worded dissent in the U.S. Supreme Court’s narrow decision this week upholding the use of an execution drug offered a glimmer of hope to death penalty opponents in what they considered otherwise a gloomy ruling. One advocate went so far Tuesday as to call it a blueprint for a fresh attack on the legality of capital punishment itself. But even those who see Justice Stephen Breyer’s dissent as a silver linin...

Pope County issues first same-sex marriage licenseThe Pope County Clerk's office issued its first same-sex marriage license at 12:15 p.m. Friday following the United States Supreme Court's ruling that same-sex couples have a right to marry anywhere in the United States. County Clerk Laura McGuire said the clerk's office is under oath to obey and uphold the law. "Therefore, I will be issuing gender-neutral marriage licenses," she said. "We don't buy into political parties. No matter what we be...

Mini-storage facility permit approvedRussellville’s Planning Commission approved one item for the City Council to consider and tabled action on another item during Monday’s regular meeting at City Hall. Commissioners conducted a public hearing requesting review and approved a recommendation for a special-use permit to allow a mini-storage facility in the 3800 block of East Main Street. The request was submitted by Richard Van Ohlen. A request to rezone property from R-1 (single f...

Prison department wants details of federal probeLITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Arkansas Department of Correction has formally requested details of the allegations that initiated a federal investigation into possible sexual abuse and harassment at a women's prison. In a letter dated Thursday, June 18, and sent to the U.S. Department of Justice Division of Civil Rights, Department of Correction Director Wendy Kelley wrote that it's her department's duty to investigate any allegations against current ...

Big retailers feel pressure on Confederate flag merchandiseEven as national retailers pull Confederate flags from shelves and websites after the shooting deaths of nine black church members in South Carolina, manufacturers that produce the divisive symbol say that sales are now surging. "I don't sell the Confederate flag for any specific group, I just sell the flag," said Kerry McCoy, owner and president of Arkansas' FlagandBanner.com. "This is America. Everybody has a right to be represented whether ...

Dover School Board aproves policy changesDOVER — The Dover School Board dealt with a number of policy and personnel matters during Thursday's brief monthly meeting. High School Principal Jo Lynn Taverner reported on some small policy changes in graduation requirements, the most substantial of which were the replacement of a compulsory full credit of civics with a half credit of civics and a half credit of economics and the addition of a computer class to the curriculum which could, d...

JPs want to put more bite into animal ordinanceA committee formed by the Pope County Quorum Court (PCQC) met Thursday to discuss possible amendments to the current vicious/uncontrolled animal ordinance. After nearly two hours, JPs agreed to cull suggestions from other counties’ ordinances for possible implementation. The committee, headed by JPs Phil Haney, Caleb Moore and David Ivy, although not completely satisfied with the language of the current ordinance, agreed it’s mostly solid over...

Middle school bidding to start next weekDOVER — The final amended drawings and plans for Dover’s new middle school are completed and the bidding process will begin next week, with sealed bids expected to be opened July 14, according to Superintendent Jerry Owens during Thursday's School Board meeting. Board member Tom Hill, who represented the board at numerous planning sessions, said the planning had been done on an “extremely aggressive time schedule” with “intensive meetings and ...

Council sniffs out odor ordinanceRussellville residents and business owners voiced concerns about a proposed ordinance that will prohibit nuisance odors during Thursday's City Council meeting. The ordinance was up for its second reading Thursday, but may undergo several revisions before a final draft is approved or shot down during the council's July meeting. One resident brought up the issue of knowing where the odors are emitted from. The odors residents have complained abo...

Hector to purchase messageHECTOR — The Hector City Council voted at its monthly meeting Monday to purchase an electronic message board to improve communication in the community. After much discussion on several options (including a plastic change-a-letter type sign which the council felt might prove too attractive to the mischievous of young residents), the council authorized Mayor John Riley to order a LED unit with the city’s logo and a programmable message panel on ...